Reading Rules from Teddy Roosevelt

Today over on Book Riot I saw this inspiring post of Teddy Roosevelt's 10 Rules for Reading.

Well, if you want to energize yourself to get out there and help some readers, this is the post to read. In fact, I would go so far as to say TR should be consider the RA mascot. He was known as a big reader, but I didn't know how strongly he felt about reading what you wanted to read, not what you are supposed to read.

Thanks to Book Riot for posting the rules (with comments from the author of the post).  I will also be sharing these with my staff and collegaues. I may even incorporate them into my training sessions.  I mean take Rule 6:

“Books are almost as individual as friends. There is no earthly use in laying down general laws about them. Some meet the needs of one person, and some of another; and each person should beware of the booklover’s besetting sin, of what Mr. Edgar Allan Poe calls ‘the mad pride of intellectuality,’ taking the shape of arrogant pity for the man who does not like the same kind of books.”

This is not much different from Becky's Rule of RA #3: Everyone Reads a Different Version of the Same Book. We all like what we like for our own reasons, and life is better that way.

I don't know about you but I am in the middle of a multi-week stretch filled with meetings and deadlines, and reading about TR's love of books and his advocacy for reading for pure pleasure, sure put a spring back in my step.